They’re being attacked all this time by these monsters that Saruman’s creating and so he has a decision to make.

It’s whether they retreat to the traditional impenetrable fortress of Helms Deep or whether to stay and fight or attack.

But he goes for caution. It’s to do with the residue of the poison and the fear that’s been instilled in him.

Legolas is also a member of the fellowship

As the battles progress he becomes more bold an realises that they have to reek havoc on Saruman and hopefully fulfil thequest. So he becomes an honorary member of the Fellowship.

You’ve described him as an all-action hero, anything like Bernard Hill?

(Laughs) An all action middle-aged hero, yes absolutely!

I don’t know really, he’s a man of the people, but he’s the King, he’s a popular King. He’s not a dictator, he’s a benign ruler and he’s a hero to his people. He has a great following and men fight 'til their death for him. He’s not a general who sits on the hill, he actually leads the charge. He’s a brave man, he's full of courage and endeavour.

Not to blow him up too much, but someone like that I’d genuinely like as a human being so if I was going to be a king I’d like to be a king like that.

It was filmed in New Zealand, sounds like a good gig!

That was absolutely wonderful.

Actually parts of New Zealand remind me of Suffolk. There’s not many flat bits, but just the atmosphere there. There’s a kind of a core tranquility about it, a kind of assuredness that this is fairly close to approaching the perfect way to be.

They do say that New Zealand is the way the world used to be and the South Island is the way New Zealand used to be. The South Island is probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. It is phenomenal. And one of the world’s hidden secrets in a way. I loved it, I felt so much at home there immediately.

I loved it, I loved every aspect of it. It’s an outgoing country but it’s narrow and surrounded by a lot of water which is familiar because that’s what it’s like round here.

So that sense of the sea and the outwardness the kind of departureness of Suffolk is very much there as well in New Zealand.